He Doesn't Joke
by boaterV
Summary: Chloe feels invisable but someone sees her.


AN

Just another quick Chruce. Chloe is a little ooc though in her lack of confidence. Please excuse me messing with the thing that makes Chloe so freaking awesome.

"Please just get to the punch line so I can get back to work." Chloe looked up from her computer. The frustration written all over her face. "It's been weeks of this hovering. Standing over me. Watching over me."

She got up from the chair and started pacing. "If you help me with one more thing I might scream."

"I fail to see how me helping you has convinced you I have some sort of joke planned." He watched her walk back and forth and hated the haunted look in her eyes. "Also I think if I ask the rest of the team they can assure you I do not joke."

"Then what?" She hated that smirk on his face. Hated what it did to her. Hated how much she wanted it to be for just her. "I've seen you do this a thousand times. To a thousand women."

"So you've been watching me?" She scoffed at the mischief she saw in his eyes. The playful side of his that he had perfected to convince the masses he was carefree.

"I don't have time for this." She waved her arms around before turning towards the back room and walking away from him.

"Stop." The humor was gone from his voice. The command sending shivers up her spine and she found her steps halting. She didn't turn but she knew he was coming towards her. When his hand reached out and touched her should she turned.

"Please." She wasn't sure what she was asking for. What she was asking him to do. She could remember the first time they met. She barely recognized the strong woman that had marched into his office and outed him as the Dark Knight. Demanding that he join the team. Giving him no option but to agree.

She had been so full of purpose back then. She had loved their animated debates. It had reminded her of her verbal judo with Lex. Before he had turned to the dark side. Back when she was a wide eyes ingénue.

Back before the black and white world had blurred to grey and her heroes had stopped seeing her as a person, only coming to her like some blonde search engine. With every new member she faded further and further into the background.

She had started to think about leaving. Walking away from watchtower and wandering the world. Going back to the beginning. Back to investigating.

Tomorrow would be a good day to start a new life. Far away from here. Far away from all tall dark and handsome men with piercing eyes that made her soul ache. That made her skin warm and her heart beat just a little too fast.

Tomorrow she would hand in her resignation and wander the world like Kung Foo.

If he would only just leave she could pack up right now.

Why wouldn't he leave?

She stared back at him. Trapped in place. The smirk was tilting his sexy mouth. God that mouth was tempting.

He was cold with the team. Distant and standoffish. He never played along with them. Nothing in his past made any sense when she tried to reconcile it with the man who had been teasing her for the last 6 months. With the man who had been torturing her. Who had been tempting her.

"For someone who sees so much how can you not see this?" He reached up a rough hand and ran it across her cheek. "Everyone else sees. They threaten and they posture and they make like your big brothers all the while they ignore you and let you hide in the background." He growled the last words and she shuddered.

"You are amazing." His thumb ran across her bottom lip and his words held a breathless edge she had never heard before. "Everything about you makes me want you." Her eyes widened at that moment before a scowl crossed her beautiful face.

"Stop." The word was more forceful this time and she tried to turn away but he stopped her.

"Dammit Chloe." He hated the fact that she really believed he had to be teasing her. Messing with her. As if he was capable of that. As if he hadn't spent the last six months fighting against what everyone else seemed to think was inevitable.

And he had fought. Fought so hard Alfred had begged him to see reason. Begged him to stop punishing himself. Bruce had simply accused him of living in a fantasy world. But he had been right. They had all been right.

He was obsessed with her. She was in his every thought and when he wasn't thinking about her he was working with her. Her voice in his ear. Whispering, trying to keep him safe.

He had started reading into it. Hearing things that weren't there.

Now she was here. Standing in front of him and he wanted to tell her everything. Had to tell her if he ever hoped to sleep again but the words were gone. The speech he had prepared. The one that he had gone over and over again in his head. The one he was so sure was as close to perfect as was humanely possible.

Suddenly words didn't matter. Nothing mattered but touching her.

His free hand weaved into the hair at her neck as he pulled her towards him. His lips crashing down on hers and he gave into the temptation that he had been fighting for as long as he could remember.

She sighed into him. Her entire body melting as his lips took possession of her. She should be holding back. She should be pushing away but it was too hard and she was too tired of pretending that she didn't want him. That he was just another member of the team.

His mouth moved over hers. Tasting and nibbling until he finally had to pull back and breath. He grumbled as he saw the shocked look on her face.

"I don't joke. Ever." He said the words slowly but it still took her lust clouded mind a moment to process them.

"So this is….?" Her voice trailed off as she tried to understand what was happening.

"Whatever you want it to be." He continued to hold her close. Watching her for any sign that she understood just how much he needed her. "A one time thing. The start of something more."

"What do you want it to be?" There was a tremor in her voice that she hated. Her fear suddenly made her angry. How had she gotten so weak?

"See Chloe. You already know the answer. When was the last time you saw me on a date?" He watched the thoughts swirl in her head before a tentative smile touched her lips.

"Are you sure?" Her voice was stronger now. The waiver gone.

He nodded and she smiled. Wide and bright and it warmed him. Sent sparks over his skin and made his heart beat faster. He leaned in and kissed her again before bending down and sweeping her into his arms.

"Does this answer your question?" She laughed lightly as he carried her towards the guest rooms. Maybe she didn't need to go all walkabout to find herself. Maybe she just needed someone to remind her she wasn't invisible?

She thought back to the last few months and wondered how she had missed it. She felt stupid for a moment but then he was kissing her and being stupid wasn't such a bad thing if it ended with this.

He laid her down on the bed and kicked the door closed. She knew that look was a question. He wanted to be sure she was okay.

She couldn't stop the smile that spread on her lips. Yesterday felt like forever ago and tomorrow felt like a dream come true. "Don't tell me the dark knight is afraid of a tiny blonde?"

The confidence surprised him. This was the woman he had found irresistible. The woman he wanted.

"Terrified." She barked out a laugh in surprise. "So please go easy on me."

She loved that smile on his lips. A true smile that she wasn't sure she had ever seen before. A smile that was only for her and she knew they would be okay. Certainly there would be bumps but she suddenly realized she had no doubt they could make it.

Reviews please? Pretty Please with sugar on top.


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